The privately-held ERP software company will integrate its CloudSuite Retail system, as well as those of e-commerce platform GT Nexus, with cloud-native predictive and prescriptive analytics provider Predictix.
Enterprise resources planning software provider Infor has entered into a strategic partnership with and invested $25 million in cloud-native retail analytics provider Predictix, the company said Tuesday.
Under the partnership, Infor will become a reseller of Predictix applications and integrate them with its own CloudSuite Retail system as well as those of e-commerce platform GT Nexus. Infor acquired GT Nexus for $675 million in August, 2015 in an effort to leverage the company’s strength in cloud-based global transportation execution, visibility, order management, and supplier financing.
Led by Charles Phillips, a former Oracle executive, Infor is attempting to wrest market share from established global ERP software leaders Oracle and SAP by focusing on cloud-based solutions and ease of deployment.
Infor CloudSuite Retail is the firm’s latest suite of enterprise applications delivered in the cloud and designed for today’s retailing landscape. The system was announced in October in collaboration with grocer Whole Foods Market, a mutual customer of both Infor and Predictix.
According to Infor, integrating Predictix’s machine-learning predictive and prescriptive analytics will enable the company to enhance CloudSuite Retail with modules that support demand forecasting, merchandise financial planning, assortment planning and category management, network flow optimization, and allocation and markdown optimization.
The integration with GT Nexus will provide “unprecedented visibility into a retailer’s extended supply chain to manage production, and monitor goods in transit and at rest,” functioning as a “virtual global control tower for the retailer, providing best responses to disruptions in the supply chain and recommending responses to minimize stock-outs and other negative consequences of irregularities.”
Based in Atlanta, Ga., but built in the cloud, Predictix saw subscriptions for its software-as-a-service analytics products grow more than 40 percent in 2015. The company manages more than $60 billion in weekly forecasts and counts 5 of the top 15 global retailers as customers.
LogicBlox, the technology platform underlying all of Predictix’s predictive and prescriptive analytics applications, has attracted funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
“Predictix is a company that shares our belief that modern technology can power a generational shift in retail software, and has delivered true innovation to merchandising and assortment management,” Infor President Duncan Angove said of the investment. “Infor and Predictix sit at the intersection of cloud, analytics, and self-service and this partnership will only accelerate our joint mission to change the retail landscape.”
Privately-held Infor joins existing Predictix investors Marlin Equity Partners, Kinetic Ventures, and ITC Holding Company.
“Partnering with Infor will provide Predictix access to the scale and resources of an enterprise software giant with the mentality of a forward-looking, entrepreneurial start-up,” said Molham Aref, CEO of Predictix. “Predictix customers will benefit greatly from the cutting-edge work coming out of Hook & Loop, Infor’s internal creative agency that is pushing the boundaries of product design and user experience.”
Infor also announced Tuesday the release of the latest version of its Supply Chain Execution (SCE) application.
Infor SCE 10.4 combines warehouse management, transportation execution, 3PL billing and labor management applications in a single, unified solution designed to help users optimize inventory, warehouse space and labor, and streamline supply chain processes.
Improvements to the system include dynamic slotting tailored for retail and omni-channel fulfillment, enhanced inbound quality control, support for a new HTML5 based web user interface, new industry and role specific dashboards, and what Infor calls “extensibility options” to personalize user experience.
“Many of Infor’s customers have supply chains with so many moving parts that it is essential for them to have complete accessibility and visibility into the process; whether from their suppliers or customers’ point of view,” VP of Product Management John Bermudez said of the release. “The new Warehouse Management functionality along with updated dashboards and personalization makes Infor SCE 10.4 the perfect solution for our customers with complex supply chains.”
Infor invests $25m in retail analytics provider
